Start Emailing Your List Now (Without the Awkwardness)

Last week I told you about the “1,000th video” email invite I received and why you should never pop into an inbox without nurturing your list first. Remember?

So if you have an email list that you’ve never touched, or you dropped off from emailing, and you don’t know where to start, I gotcha. 

First, give yourself a pat on the back because you thought to keep those emails! Congrats on thinking ahead. Now, let’s get to using that list.

Emailing your community doesn’t have to be awkward if you follow these five easy steps:

1. Choose your platform 💻 If you don’t already have an email service provider, you’ll need to choose one to send out regular emails. I made the switch to Flodesk (👈 affiliate link discount) because they have an incredibly easy-to-use platform designed specifically with creatives in mind. Everything they do is beautiful and helpful. Check them out!

2. Create a “Gift” 🎁 Think of a gift you can give your list that helps them solve a problem (a “Lead Magnet”). I offer a few for my clients: a “Wardrobe Guide,” a “Getting Started Guide,” and a “Headshot Checklist.” These were all born from a need to stop answering the same questions over and over! If you don’t have a graphic designer, my favorite tool to make these look professional is Canva.

3. Write an enticing subject line 🎣 Your subject line should make people curious. Remember, your audience hasn’t heard from you in a while, so give them a reason to open! Mentioning your gift in the subject line is a great way to get into their inbox for the first time. Examples:

4. Introduce yourself (briefly) 👋 Remind the people on your list who you are, what you do, and how you solve their biggest problems. Throw in something personal like the number of dogs you have or your favorite pastime (mine is a good glass of wine!). Keep it brief: make the email about them and their needs, then offer your free gift immediately.

5. Set expectations and offer an exclusive ✨ Let your audience know how often they should expect to hear from you (monthly or bi-montly is more than enough for photographers). Finally, tell them know that as subscribers, they’ll get exclusives that your social media followers don’t. My list gets access to exclusive sales we don’t announce on the Gram. It could be as simple as content you don’t share anywhere else.

Finally, sign off with gratitude. Express how happy you are to serve them moving forward (and stick to your promised schedule)!

By following these steps, you build a meaningful connection that eventually translates to sales.